Childhood adversities and adult health

Child abuse and neglect have lifelong ramifications for adult mental health and health in general. In this brief overview, a range of childhood adversities (including prenatal substance exposure and prenatal malnutrition) is reviewed, and the evidence for their later negative implications is considered. The role of a chronically stressed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis likely has significant influence in this process. Strategies for nurses include developing awareness of the presence of early adversity in the lives of many Americans, as well as helping parents improve their functional status by treating mental illness and addictive disorders.